Antec DF-85 User Manual

DF- 85

DARK FLEET

THE ADVANCED
GAMING FORCE

U S E R M A N U A L

DF-85 USER’S MANUAL

Congratulations on your purchase of the Antec Dark Fleet DF-85.

Your DF-85 is the gaming case re-envisioned, with all the award-winning build quality that made Antec cases
famous and plenty of airy, wide-open expandability with 14 total drive bays and 7 expansion slots. Fleet-

Release™ front drive bays allow swift customization of front fan and drive configurations and easy access to

tool-less, washable fan filters. A top-mounted hot-swappable SATA (SSD-compatible) drive bay plus Fleet­Swap™ SATA drive interfaces offer blazing fast throughput with superb convenience.

The DF-85 comes without a power supply. Make sure you choose a power supply that is compatible with your
computer components and has a long enough power harness to reach your motherboard and peripheral devices.
We recommend our High Current, Signature Series, TruePower Quattro, TP New, or CP Series power supplies
for the latest ATX specification compliance, broad compatibility, and power savings capability.

At Antec, we continually refine and improve our products to ensure the highest quality. As such, your new case
may differ slightly from the description in this manual. This isn't a problem; it's simply an improvement. As of
the date of publication, all features, descriptions, and illustrations in this manual are correct.

Disclaimer

This manual is intended only as a guide for Antec’s computer enclosures. For more

comprehensive instructions on installing the motherboard and peripherals, please refer to

the user’s manuals that come with those components.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Getting to know your case…………………………………………………. 5

1.2 Case specifications…………………………………………………………. 6

1.3 Before you begin…………………………………………………………… 7

1.4 Locating and positioning your computer…………………………………... 8

SECTION 2: HARDWARE INSTALLATION

2.1 Setting up…………………………………………………………………... 10

2.2 Motherboard installation…………………………………………………… 12

2.3 Standard ATX power supply installation…………………………………... 14

2.4 Installing a CPX form factor power supply………………………………... 15

2.5 Cable management…………………………………………………………. 16

2.6 Internal 3.5” device installation……………………………………………. 17

2.7 Using Fleet-Swap™….…………………………………………………….. 19

2.8 Using the top 2.5” hot-swap bay…………………………………………… 23

2.9 External 5.25” device installation………………………………………….. 23

SECTION 3: FRONT I/O PORTS

3.1 USB 2.0…………………………………………………………………….. 26

3.2 USB 3.0…………………………………………………………………….. 26

3.3 AC’97 / HD audio ports……………………………………………………. 26

3.4 Power switch / reset switch / hard disk drive LED connectors……………. 27

3.5 Rewiring motherboard header connections………………………………... 27

SECTION 4: COOLING SYSTEM

4.1 Included fans………………………………………………………………. 29

4.2 Top 140 mm red fan…………………………………………………. 30

4.3 Front 120 mm red LED fans ……………………………………………… 30

4.4 Rear exhaust 120 mm TwoCool™ fans………………………………….... 32

4.5 Optional fans.…………………………………………………………….... 31

4.6 Washable air filters………………………………………………………... 32

4.7 Water cooling……………………………………………………………… 33

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INTRODUCTION

SECTION 1

4

1.1 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CASE

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12

Drive bays Hardware mounts

1 5.25” drive bays 10 Motherboard standoffs (pre-installed)
2 3.5” drive bays 11 Power supply mounts
3 Fleet-Swap SATA bays 12 Front I/O ports
4 2.5” internal SSD bays
5 2.5” external hot-swap

Cooling

6 140 mm top TwoCool™ fans
7 120 mm rear TwoCool™ fans
8 Fleet-Release access door modules w/front variable-speed 120 mm red LED fans
9 Water cooling grommets

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CASE TYPE

Full Tower

COLOR

Matte black

DIMENSIONS

- 23.5” (H) x 8.5” (W) x 19.9” (D)

- 596 mm (H) x 213 mm (W) x 505 mm (D)

WEIGHT

26.3 lbs / 11.3 kg

COOLING

2 x top 140 mm TwoCool™ fans
2 x rear 120 mm TwoCool™ red LED fans
3 x front 120 mm red LED fans with speed control knobs
1 x side 120 mm fan to cool graphics cards (optional)
Water cooling capable

DRIVE BAYS

9 x internal 3.5” (4 x external 3.5” Fleet-Swap™ drives, position changeable)
3 x external 5.25”
1 x external top 2.5” hot-swap SATA drive bay
1 x internal bottom-mounted 2.5” SSD drive

EXPANSION SLOTS

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MOTHERBOARD SIZE

Mini-ITX, microATX, Standard ATX

FRONT I/O PANEL

1 x USB 3.0
2 x USB 2.0
AC’97 / HD Audio In and Out

1.2 CASE SPECIFICATIONS

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1.3 BEFORE YOU BEGIN

In order to ensure that your building experience with the Dark Fleet DF-85 will be a positive one, please take
note of the following:

 While working inside your Dark Fleet DF-85, keep your case on a flat, stable surface. Make sure your

build environment is clean, well-lit, and free of dust.

 Antec cases feature rounded edges that minimize the occurrence of hand injuries. Nonetheless,

exercise caution and control when handling case interiors. We strongly recommend taking the
appropriate time and care when working inside the case. Avoid hurried or careless motions. Please use
reasonable precaution.

 Handle components and cards with care. Do not touch the components or contacts on a card. Hold a

card by its edges. Hold a component such as a processor by its edges, never by its pins.

 To avoid electrostatic discharge, ground yourself periodically by touching an unpainted metal surface

(such as a connector or screw on the back of this computer) or by using a wrist grounding strap.

 Before you connect a cable, ensure that both connectors are correctly aligned and oriented. Bent pins

can be difficult to fix and may require replacement of the entire connector.

 This manual is not designed to cover CPU, RAM, or expansion card installation. Please consult your

motherboard manual for specific mounting instructions and troubleshooting. Before proceeding,
check the manual for your CPU cooler to find out if there are steps you must take before installing
the motherboard.

 Do not sit on your case. Although it is constructed of heavy-duty steel and internally reinforced, it is

not designed to support the weight of an adult, and may buckle.

 Remember to use the right tools for each task. Do not use improvized screwdrivers like coins, nails or

knife blades as they may result in damage to screw threads or even injury. Do not use your fingernails
to separate edges or lift the sides of the case, as paint chipping or injury may occur.

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1.4 LOCATING AND POSITIONING YOUR COMPUTER

Your DF-85 has backwards- and top-facing exhaust fans, as well as front-mounted intake fans and one side­mounted front air intake. For optimum performance, we recommend leaving the front air intakes unobstructed.

When open, the DF-85’s Fleet-Release™ doors take up an additional 15.5 cm of space in the front. Since
loading and unloading the DF-85’s internal Fleet-Swap™ SATA bays through the doors will require opening
and closing them, you may wish to leave space in front of the computer open for this purpose.

The DF-85 comes with a top 2.5” Hot Swap drive bay. While it’s in a handy location, we do not
recommend that users put any liquid-containing items (drinks, ice cream, coffee, perfume, etc.) on the drive
bay. It was not designed for storage purposes.

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HARDWARE
INSTALLATION

SECTION 2

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2.1 SETTING UP

Note: Place the panel thumbscrews aside carefully and remember where they are.

Put the case upright on a flat, stable surface so that the rear panel (power supply and expansion slots) is facing
you. To remove the left and right side panels, remove these thumbscrews:

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Note: Do not use your fingernails to pry or lift the panels. Damage to the panels or injury to

your fingernails may result.

Note: This manual is not designed to cover CPU, RAM, or expansion card installation. Please

consult your motherboard manual for specific mounting instructions and troubleshooting.

C B D E A

Now rest your case with the left side up. Here’s what we’ll be working with first:

A – Power supply mounts

B – 5.25” drive bay area

C – 3.5” drive bay area with Fleet-Swap SATA bays

D – Front panel wiring

E – I/O panel

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